This post, Saving on Travelling and Having Fund Getting There was written by Bryan over at Pinch that Penny as a part of Yakezie Blog Swap 17.
To travel frugally tends to be a difficult thing to do. From over-paying on airfare or hotels, to eating lavish meals out, to feeling like your trip needs to be remembered by the purchase of a pricey trinket, there are plenty of ways to spend much more than you expected on your vacation.
The theme of this blog swap is to write about the best budget travel tip we’ve ever learned. I’ll do one better than that, and I’ll suggest two tried and true methods that I have used or that I plan to use to save money.
The first tip that I have is to make sure that you’re getting the best deal and the most value for your money. While this is a little obvious, you’d be surprised at how many people assume that whatever price a hotel charges for the night is the best price that you can get for that stay. I am a big fan of Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” feature (particularly for hotels and rental cars: I’ve never used it for airfare as my travel demands are usually a little more specific than the site allows).
If you’ve been thrown off by the “Name Your Own Price” feature, don’t be. It’s remarkably simple to use, and, in fact, there’s no real way that you can use it wrong (assuming that you know what hotels in the area are charging and you don’t bid above that price). The Priceline website evens tries to help you by giving you information about what hotels in specific neighborhoods tend to charge. When I bid on a hotel room, my first bid is usually 40-50% less than the listed hotel price, and, more often than not, my initial offer is accepted.
It’s similarly easy for rental cars. I’ve rented (small) cars for $10 or $15 per day. Obviously, the lower prices help me to save money, especially when you consider that for vacations, you frequently need a car for multiple days in a row. If you can get a car for $15 a day that the rental company normally charges $25 for, over the course of five days, you will save approximately $50 ($75 + taxes and fees vs $125 + taxes and fees). That’s not too shabby.
My second budget travel tip is for you folks who enjoy the occasional adult beverage. When you are travelling, drinks can get expensive, particularly when you seemingly don’t have any other options (such as when you are on a plane).
However, as the Economist recently pointed out, you do have options when it comes to drinking on a plane:
”Minis (the tiny little liquor bottles) happen to fit into your TSA quart sized baggie and are perfectly legal to take through security. A bottle of OJ on the far side of the line and you’re in screwdriver heaven. Although, please be discrete as the US still has insane open container laws.
Which brings me to my story: Not long after I figured out this loophole, I tossed my baggie full of minis in the x-ray bin and the TSA screener looked at them and gave me a broad grin and said, “Now there’s a man ‘at knows how to fly.” To which I could only grin and nod in agreement.”
I definitely know how I’m going to roll next time I fly!
What about you, dear readers? What tips do you have for travelling on the cheap? Let us know in the comments.